172 
forest and stream 
April, 1919 i 
A CAFETERIA FOR BIRDS 
'"TD those of us who love birds it is a 
1 pleasure to feed the little ones who 
brave the winter in our northern clime. 
It is a good plan also to feed the venture- 
some early birds of spring who often 
find “scant picking” during the cold, 
bleak days of early spring. 
A unique, economical and efficient feed- 
ing device was built for me by Mr. Ed- 
ward Avis, the well-known “Bird Mimic,” 
who has delighted thousands of audi- 
ences with his wonderful art of bird- 
song imitation. 
The device is simple, practical and 
highly recommended. It may be con- 
structed as follows: Bore a hole eight 
inches deep, two and a half inches in 
diameter into one end of a smooth-barked 
log at least 4 by 14 inches in size. With 
a one-inch auger bore four holes, two 
on each side and about three inches apart, 
slanting a little downward from the out- 
side to the large cavity. Fill a common 
quart milk bottle with hemp, rape or sun- 
flower seed, finely chopped suet or scraps, 
and insert inverted bottle into the log. 
Care should be taken that the neck of 
the bottle shall fit tightly so as to ex- 
clude all rain. 
We fastened the feeder securely to a 
tree trunk. A tall post will do nicely. 
The birds will soon find their way to 
the food, and the appliance will serve 
them automatically as long as there is a 
supply in the bottle. The woodpeckers, 
nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, brown 
creepers, etc., will be able to cling to the 
smooth bark and take the food from the 
openings, but the English sparrow lacks 
this accomplishment and therefore will be 
precluded from the feast, otherwise these 
little thieves would soon steal all. 
C. P. H., Connecticut. 
•LEVEN KINKS 
'TT> quickly reload the single shot, .22 
A calibre, rim-fire rifle while hunting, 
as the bullets are outside lubricated 
and cannot be carried in the pocket loose, 
and taking one from the box each time is 
slow, I carry three in a brass tube, sus- 
pended by a cord from the shirt button- 
hole. When a cartridge is wanted it is 
surprising how quickly one slides into 
the hand by upending the tube. They 
cannot spill out, for with the cord tied 
around the upper end of the 3% -inch 
tube, the weight is always at the lower 
end. 
* * * 
To keep the flask holding either dope, 
liniment, pain killer, etc., well corked. 
take a piece of brass wire, form a loop 
in the middle by twisting it several times, 
then wrap it around the bottle neck just 
below the nozzle and twist the two ends 
together and draw them over the cork and 
through the loop, the ends are then turned 
back and the point pushed into the cork. 
^ * 
In a warm country a candle left lying 
in the tent is apt to twist, droop, or flat- 
ten out, but by rolling it in paper and 
placing it under the bed roll it will re- 
tain its shape. 
* * * 
To draw a tight wood screw from a 
gun stock easily, put a red-hot piece of 
TT7 E are depending upon the 
yy friends and admirers of our 
old correspondent Nessmuk to make 
this department worthy of his 
name. No man knew the woods 
better than Nessmuk or wrote of 
them with quainter charm. Many 
of his practical ideas on camping 
and “ going light ” have been 
adopted by the United States Army ; 
his canoe has been preserved in the 
Smithsonian Institution; and we 
hope that all good woodsmen will 
contribute to this department their 
Hints and Kinks and trail-tested 
contrivances . — [ Editors. ] 
iron against the screw head for about 
a minute, then use the screw driver. 
4 : * * 
To clean the metal threads of sand, 
filings or grease which sometimes hap- 
pen to get in them while over-hauling 
a fire-arm, take something flat, in 
width less than the diameter of the screw 
hole, lay a piece of cloth over it and 
turn all into the hole, the same as the 
screw is turned in. 
* * ♦ 
A good match holder for use in a tent 
can be made from a 12-gage etnpty paper 
shell. Cut out an oval section from one 
side then tack it to the tent pole. 
^ Hi * 
For hanging clothes in the tent 
some good pegs can be made with sev- 
eral empty revolver cartridges of large 
caliber and eight-penny nails. Knock 
out the old primer and in its place slip 
a nail, then drive the nail into the tent 
pole until the shell stops it. A big peg 
is very easy on the garment it holds, 
whereas the nail heads are apt to dam- 
age them. 
Spices and salt and pepper containers 
are apt to be left on the table while 
camping. If so they should all be set 
upside down, then when wanted will not 
be found covered with dust or other dirt. 
* « * 
On most outing trousers the belt loops 
are sewed flush with the edge and on 
the inside, this allows the belt to lop 
above the trousers. So I always tack 
said loop down by sewing them at least 
% inch from the top. 
Hi Hi Hi 
For advertising many groceries and 
other businesses give away calendars, 
generally a big picture with a little pad 
on it. Under this little pad will be 
found printed very small, 2% x 1%-inch 
calendar of the whole year. Take this 
and paste it in the memorandum book 
and it will sure come in handy. 
H * H 
A good cigarette or small cigar holder 
can be made by the camper who forgets 
his, from the leg bone of a rooster, bet- 
ter known as a drumstick. The remains 
of the rooster can be lunched upon. 
Jim Ferguson, New York. 
REPAIRING SMALL BURNS IN A 
TENT 
B alsam wood is notorious for throw- 
ing off sparks that bum holes in the 
tent. At places in the north country 
it is the only fuel obtainable. Last 
year, at such a place, my tent received 
a score of holes from this cause and I 
had not repaired it. We closed them 
with surgeon’s adhesive plaster, appl 3 fing 
it both inside and out. These patches 
rendered the tent serviceable. I had 
carried that adhesive plaster upon many 
hunting trips and this was the first time 
I had found any use for it. 
A very useful aid in carrying a rifle 
came under my observation in Cassiar. 
A rifle sling has a tendency to slip from 
the hunter’s shoulder and will not re- 
main firm on the shoulder unless held 
in place. One hand must always be on 
the rifle in order to keep the sling on the 
shoulder. Often in climbing both hands 
are required. A large button firmly 
sewed on the shoulder of the hunting 
coat will act as a guard for the sling 
when the sling is over the shoulder, pre- 
vent it from slipping off and in emer- 
gencies permit the hunter to make other 
use of his right hand than holding the 
rifle on the shoulder. The button will 
not interfere with a hasty voluntary 
shifting of the rifle to a position for 
shooting. 
Henry Bannon, Ohio. 
